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OUTSTANDING! THE BRENHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ACCEPTABLE
RADIOSTAR AT HOT NIGHTS, COOL TUNES
BURGLARY SUSPECT HELD AT GUNPOINT
SHERIFF JANKOWSKI ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION
AUSTIN COUNTY PIPELINE RUPTURE
BLINN INCLUDED IN COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
COUNTY GETS MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENTS
LONG TIME CALDWELL MAYOR BERNARD RYCHLIK KILLED IN TRAFFIC COLLISION
OIL BY PRODUCT STORAGE TANKS EXPLODE NEAR BURTON
MAN ARRESTED AFTER DEMANDING MONEY
BRENHAM POLICE INVESTIGATE BURGLARIES
CHAPPELL HILL WINERY DISPUTE RESOLVED
CHAPPELL HILL FORUM HEARS ABOUT 290 PLANS
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OUTSTANDING! THE BRENHAM SCHOOL DISTRICT IS ACCEPTABLE
(JULY 30TH, 2010)
“Outstanding! Outstanding! Outstanding!”
That’s what Brenham School Supt. Sam Bell exclaimed after getting news
today (Friday), that the district, as a whole, received an academic acceptable
rating from the Texas Education Agency, while the High School, the Junior High
School and the Middle School were recognized.
|
BISD SUPT. Sam Bell |
Brenham Elementary and Krause Elementary were both rated exemplary but
Alton, the first school in the district to attain the recognized status eight
years ago, was rated academically unacceptable.
Supt. Bell said this was puzzling to him and he will be working to find
out why this happened.
The Brenham School District had five of its six campuses either
recognized or exemplary. Last year
the Texas Education Agency rated the district unacceptable because of the high
school completion rate, saying that not enough students were completing high
school in the four year period.
Bell said today that the schools in the district are all very, very good,
and this report from the Texas Education Agency bears that out.
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RADIOSTAR AT HOT NIGHTS, COOL TUNES
(JULY 30TH, 2010)
Last week’s Hot Nights, Cool Tunes took us back to the 1960s and the
sounds of the British Invasion, this week’s edition Saturday night brings in
the Austin-based band Radio Star, to take us up for a couple of decades with the
sounds of the 80s.
Lead singer Billy Lucas says just expect to have a ‘really good
time.’
![]() |
|
RadioStar will perform
Saturday night at Hot Nights, |
Saturday night’s concert on Brenham’s downtown square is the last of
this year’s Hot Nights, Cool Tunes, Brenham Main Street’s series of street
concerts and dances.
Once again, the concerts have been deemed a great success, drawing big
crowds to the downtown area.
Radio Star is being sponsored by Heritage Texas Country Properties, Cathy
Cole, Realtor, the College Station Medical Center/Brenham Clinic and Wells
Fargo.
Once again, Brenham Main Street organizers are asking that you leave your
coolers at home and buy your food and drinks from the Brenham Rotary Club.
This keeps the concerts free and also funds many of Main Street’s
projects such as the Toubin Park
project. The funds are also used for
scholarships, teacher awards and Faith Mission.
The music of Radio Star begins at about seven on Saturday night.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 30TH, 2010)
Drug offenses dominated this week’s indictments from the 21st
district court grand jury in Washington County.
The grand jury handed down 38 indictments in the session they held on
Wednesday. Many of the defendants
are facing multiple charges.
Assistant District Attorney Elizabeth Whittington says 42-year old Thomas
Luna Jr., was first arrested on October 30th last year because he
allegedly sold methamphetamines to an undercover law enforcement officer. He was
arrested again on January third for the same offense during a traffic stop and
yet again during another traffic stop on January 26th.
Twenty-six year old Donald Wayne Garret of Brenham was also arrested
during a traffic stop. He was
stopped on January 29th after Brenham police found what they believed
was a small amount of cocaine.
There were even some possession of heroin indictments. Forty-one year old
Craig Ross Coates of Houston was arrested on April 12th for the
possession of a small amount of heroin. He
was also charged with possessing cocaine.
Twenty-four year old Dna Nicole Burch of Houston was arrested for the
possession of heroin during a March
2nd arrest.
Twenty-four
year old Christopher Lee Cruce was arrested on May 13th for the
possession of a small amount of cocaine.,
Errol Marcus Lewis of Brenham was arrested last October 6th ,
also for the possession of cocaine.
Thirty-six year old Brian Keith Hall was arrested on December 9th
with an unusually large amount of marijuana.
He was indicted for the delivery of marijuana.
Also indicted for delivering marijuana was Robert Lee Carter.
The 22-year old Brenham man was found with over four ounces of marijuana,
Other indictments dealt with burglary of habitations and third offenses
of driving while intoxicated.
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_
(JULY 30TH, 2010)
Some night work will begin soon on highway 290 and state highway 36.
Contractors for the Texas Department of Transportation will be ‘micro
surfacing U.S. 290 at night soon. Beginning
on the night of August 9th, this micro-surfacing work will include
the cloverland sections of U.S. 290
and State Highway 36 intersections. They
will then strt at the intersection of highway 36 and 290, the Wal-Mart area and
continue south for one mile. This
night time micro surfacing work will begin each night at eight pm and end at
about five in the morning.
Micro surfacing is a thing surfacing layer to preserve the roadway,
improve the ride quality, and improve wet weather traction of the roadway.
Motorists who travel this area should expect some delays and obey all
traffic control.
Ballou Construction of Salinas, Kansas has the $346,868 contract to
perform this work. This project
should take about two months to complete. TxDot
and their contractor appreciate you patience during this project.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 30TH, 2010)
A former Navasota teacher who is
charged with indecent exposure with a student is now out on bond awaiting his
trial.
A district court judge lowered the bond for Roberto Andaverde to $10,000
even though prosecutors say he is a flight risk. Andaverde is from Mexico.
His bond had been $100,000.
Andaverde’s trial has been delayed for several months while prosecutors
appeal a judge’s decision to keep part of the confession from the jury.
Last October, a student claimed the former elementary school teacher
touched her in an in appropriate way.
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BURGLARY SUSPECT HELD AT GUNPOINT
(JULY 29TH, 2010)
An alert neighbor held a burglary suspect at gunpoint Wednesday morning
in Burton.
Washington County Sheriff’s deputies were called to the scene on Young
Lane in Burton at about 9:22 am Wednesday. A
man reported that a suspicious vehicle had stopped at a neighboring business and
was attempting to break into the building. One
of the neighbors chased the suspect vehicle, until he ran through a fence.
That’s when a woman neighbor held the man at gunpoint until the
deputies arrived. Forty-three year
old Ronnie Lee Mathis was arrested for felony theft of copper
and burglary of a building.
_________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 29TH, 2010)
Three tractors, reportedly valued at over $113,000 were reported stolen
from a Washington County equipment company some time during a three day period
over this past weekend.
Washington County Sheriff’s investigators are searching for the
tractors, taken from Hi-Way Equipment Company on Highway 290 west of Brenham.
Maurice Graeber of the company reported to deputies that the Case
International Tractors were taken from the business some time during a period
between five pm Saturday and Monday at 7:45am.
The tractors were red in color, with four wheel drive.
One was a model 95 and the other two were models 80.
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SHERIFF JANKOWSKI ELECTED VICE-PRESIDENT OF SHERIFF'S ASSOCIATION
(JULY 29TH, 2010)
Sheriff J.W. Jankowski has been elected First Vice-President of the
Sheriff’s Association of Texas at their 132nd Annual Training
Conference held in Fort Worth. The
conference began Sunday and ended Wednesday.
More than 1500 participants came to the event where they heard speakers,
had opportunities for significant and timely training sessions, and visited more
than 240 exhibits showcasing some of the latest technology in law enforcement.
Sheriff Jankowski has been the Sheriff of Washington County since January
of 1993. He distinguishes himself in
his county and throughout the state as he assumes this leadership role in the
Sheriff’s Association in Texas.
The Sheriff’s of Texas began this annual training session in 1878.
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 29TH, 2010)
Oil activity is beginning to pick up once again in the Giddings Field as
oilfield operators expand into some new areas of Lee County.
One of the hottest new fields in that county could turn out ot be the
Eagle Ford Shale, a formation below the chalk that runs from East Texas down to
South Texas. Leases in the area have been taken up at what is called a feverish
pace in the past two years.
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AUSTIN COUNTY PIPELINE RUPTURE
(JULY 28TH, 2010)
The
'all clear' has been given in Austin County as the natural gas pipeline
rupture between Sealy, Bellville and Cat Springs
on Millheim Road and County Road 949, has been contained. Austin County
residents in that area were under a 'shelter in place' after a natural gas
pipeline leak rupture on Millheim Road and County Road 949. The rupture caused a large area to be evacuated in that area. Some others were ordered to
stay indoors, the shelter in place order caused a large area to be evacuated in
that area in Austin County. A
shelter in place means some are being evacuated while others are told to stay
indoors, with their air conditioners off. People
were being told not to start their cars because this could mean a spark to set
off a fire.
|
Site of Austin County pipeline explosion. (ap photo) |
Witnesses said they heard a loud ‘roaring’ sound during the rupture at about seven this morning Natural gas was ‘venting out’ of the area of the explosion but it has not ignited. The pipeline was shut off at about 8:40 Wednesday morning. Emergency crews and fire trucks are on the scene along with sheriff’s deputies. Deputies are telling people to stay out of the area called the situation ‘potentially very serious.’ Austin County Emergency Management Coordinator Ray Chislet says now that ‘we are getting a handle on it.’ Chislet says that while the gas pipeline has been shut off, there is still natural gas in the area.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 28TH, 2010)
The Washington County Commissioners went into budget workshops at the end
of (Tuesday’s) meeting after getting a positive report on the county’s
finances from accountant Lewis Crain of Rutledge, Crain and Company.
Crain told the Commissioners that the county, even in these tough
economic times took in $600,000 more in revenue than they expected and spent
$1.5 million less than budgeted.
|
Accountant Lewis Crain
gave a positive report on |
Crain repeatedly expressed concern about the level of spending, or lack
of it, in the Washington County Sheriff’s office.
He was concerned that they did not have the full manpower and that would
eventually cost the county more.
Crain said that the county has $32 million in assets over liabilities but
that $20 million of that are roads and bridges, items the county would likely
keep.
The County Commissioners will spend the next six to eight weeks in budget
workshops to work out a spending plan for the upcoming year.
Last year’s budget projected spending of $19 million with a 42 cent per
one hundred dollar valuation tax rate. The
County Commissioners are expected to pass a budget during their September 14th
meeting.
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(JULY 28TH, 2010)
The potential crisis is over near
Burton as the oil by-product tanks that caught fire Monday evening have burned
out.
Washington County Emergency Coordinator Robert Smith says these tanks,
containing oil and salt water, did not have much oil in them and it was apparent
by mid-morning on Tuesday that the fire danger had diminished.
Four tanks for oil by-products caught fire early Monday evening after
lightening apparently struck them. The
fire produced a heavy black smoke that could have created a serious health
danger for Burton area residents. The
small town was put in a ‘sheltering’ status meaning residents needed to go
indoors, close their windows, doors and shut off their air conditioners.
The conditions improved rapidly and the order was lifted.
No one was injured during the incident.
The disposal tanks are owned by the Key Oil Corporation of Giddings.
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BLINN INCLUDED IN COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM
(JULY 28TH, 2010)
The Washington County Commissioners included Blinn College into the
Brazos Valley Wide Area Communications System at (Tuesday’s) meeting.
The new, digital law enforcement and emergency communications system
already links Brenham, Washington County, Texas A&M, Bryan, College Station
and Brazos County.
Blinn College will now join the system.
Their part in the new system, expected to go on line at the end of August
would cost them $4941 a year for the radios and their maintenance.
The entities had expected to have this digital system of communications
online already but County Judge Dorothy Morgan said getting the system ready
turned out to be more involved than first thought.
The federal government has mandated that emergency and law enforcement
agencies switch to this new, digital narrow band communications system.
________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COUNTY GETS MEDICAL REIMBURSEMENTS
(JULY 28TH, 2010)
Washington County coffers were increased by $32,414 during (Tuesday’s)
meeting of the county commissioners.
Michael Parks, the Assistant Executive Director of the Brazos Valley
Council of Governments, presented the Commissioners with a check for Medicare
reimbursements. Parks said this
money comes from a special effort to help people acquire federal government
assistance for medical care, thus saving the county money.
|
Michael Parks of the
Brazos Valley Council of |
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 28TH, 2010)
Mission Brenham wants you to ‘Stuff the Bus’ again.
This is their effort to help poor, or low income families acquire school
supplies for the upcoming school year.
Marcus Lawhon of Mission Brenham says that they are trying to prepare
some 200 children can get those school supplies.
He says Mission Brenham has helped these same young people this summer
with the JAM, or Jesus and Me Program, that supplies them with lunches and
recreational programs. Lawhon says
now is the time to continue this work.
|
It's time to 'Stuff the Bus' again. |
This year’s Stuff the Bus Campaign is Friday and Saturday from 9am to
7pm in the Wal Mart parking lot.
Crystal the Pistol will be there in the KWHI Country Cruiser.
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LONG TIME CALDWELL MAYOR BERNARD RYCHLIK KILLED IN TRAFFIC COLLISION
(JULY 27TH, 2010)
Bernard Rychlik, the long time mayor of Caldwell, was killed Monday night
in a traffic collision in Burleson County.
Reports from the Texas Department of Public Safety says that Bernard
Rychlik was driving a 2003 Chevy Carry-All Van at 8:17 Monday night on state
highway 36, about one tenth of a mile from County Road 107, in Burleson County
when he made a sudden U-turn in front of a 1993 GMC pickup truck.
The pickup truck then broadsided Rychlik’s vehicle.
|
Bernard Rychlik. |
Rychlik was then taken to the St. Joseph’s Burleson County Hospital in
Caldwell, where he died at 9:45 Monday night.
The DPS reports that he was wearing a seat belt.
Calvin Wayne Strickland was the driver of the GMC pickup truck.
He and his passenger Beth Norton were injured and were taken to the St.
Joseph’s Regional Health Center in Bryan.
Rychlik, who was 71, had been mayor almost continuously beginning with
his first election in the early 1990s. He
was noted for his promotion of the annual Kolache Festival in Caldwell.
He was also noted for his work to get power restored to Caldwell
residents after Hurricane Ike. Although
the storm did not affect Caldwell with any wind or rain damage, the city was
without any electric power for over a week.
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OIL BY PRODUCT TANKS EXPLODE NEAR BURTON
(JULY 27TH, 2010)
The sheltering order Burton residents was lifted Monday night after emergency
crews determined it was now safe for residents in the town to open their
windows, their doors and to run their air conditioners. All of Burton was
put under the sheltering status and ordered to stay indoors, close all windows and doors
and shut off their air conditioners Monday night after lightening struck storage
tanks for oil production by-products, sparking a very large fire that produced
heavy black oily smoke over the western Washington County town.
Seven families near the site, about one mile west of Burton, off U.S.
Highway 290 were evacuated.
|
The fire burned
throughout Monday night after the |
Washington County Emergency Coordinator Robert Smith issued the order
soon after the explosion. He
explained that the fire, while it is contained, it is expected to burn
throughout the night and this cause danger to the residents of Burton.
|
The oil by product
storage tanks erupted in fire after |
Volunteer firefighters from the Burton Fire Department were joined by the
Round Top Fire Department.
These four tanks are called a ‘salt water battery’ which are tanks
that contain the by-product of oil production.
These tanks are owned by the Key Oil Corporation.
One of the tanks has salt water, two of the tanks have saltwater and oil while the contents of one of the tanks is not known.
|
Washington County
Emergency Coordinator |
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MAN ARRESTED AFTER DEMANDING MONEY
(JULY 27TH, 2010)
A Washington County man wanted ‘his ten dollars’ but ended up in the
countyjail on two felony charges instead Sunday morning.
Sheriff’s deputies responded to the 2200 block of Old Navasota Road on
a criminal mischief charge. They
found 33-year old Matthew Thiel hiding in the brush along the side of the road
at about ten in the morning. Tamika
Dixon reported that Thiel had broken a
back window of her home, asking for his ‘ten dollars’.
He did not get the money. Thiel then allegedly assaulted her, went
outside and grabbed a rock and broke out the rear window of Dixon’s car and
then fled. Thiel was arrested and
charged with burglary of a habitation, assault causing bodily injury, and
criminal mischeif. Other charges are
pending during this continuing investigation.
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BRENHAM POLICE INVESTIGATE BURGLARIES
(JULY 27TH, 2010)
Brenham police are investigating two burglary cases in which little was
stolen but plenty of damage was done.
Police answered the call at Cattleman’s Supply Saturday morning when a
worker there discovered an apparent break in.
Jean Luere discovered the burglary when she came into work at 8:15 in the
morning. Several desks were rummaged
through, and filing cabinets were open. An
inventory has only been able to find that some gloves were taken and the
burglary remains under investigation.
Police are also investigating the burglary of the Washington County
Healthy Living Association in the 1200block of South Market.
Toy Kurtz of the Center reported to police at about midday Sunday that
someone rummage through the building and a window had been broken. So far, it
appears nothing was stolen.
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CHAPPELL HILL WINERY DISPUTE RESOLVED
(JULY 27TH, 2010)
A controversy involving a Chappell Hill winery and the shooting of deer
has apparently been averted after the owner decided not to go through with her
plan.
Kay Palacios had applied and received a permit to eradicate deer by
shooting them through the Texas Department of Parks and Wildlife.
Palacios says deer have been eating the grapes she grows to make her
wine. She has now decided not to
shoot deer but is open to suggestions on how to control the deer population.
She said she has harvested 22 tons of grapes but if the deer had not
consumed much of her product she would have had 31 tons.
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CHAPPELL HILL FORUM HEARS ABOUT 290 PLANS
(JULY 26TH, 2010)
“Traffic is increasing but we can’t just keep laying down
concrete,” so said Anikka Ayala Rogers, the Texas Department of Transportation
spokesperson, to a forum on transportation issues in Chappell Hill, Saturday
afternoon.
A sizable gathering came out
to the Chappell Hill First Baptist Church for the Future Trends Planning
Committee Forum on issues ranging from improvements to Highway 290, to a
proposed Toll Road for Hempstead highway, to a commuter rail system.
Ms. Ayala-Rogers, says this work comes from $5 billion in general
obligation bonds that Texas voters approved of in November 2007.
Ayala-Rogers says the bids need to be let out by May of next year, for
this work that begin in Houston and strongly affect Washington County.
|
Anikka Ayala-Rogers of
TxDot reviews upcoming |
The proposed Hempstead Tollway would be constructed in the same area as
the current Hempstead Road and consist of two managed lanes and two non-tolled
frontage road lanes in each direction.
Other improvements would relieve the increasing congestion from
Interstate 610/290 interchange, ranked as the 13th most congested
roadway segments in Texas. The total
cost of this work is $4.6 billion and $2.3 billion is readily available.
The proposed commuter rail system, that would run through Washington
County, is still raising concerns. Rogers
says that TxDot has created a new rail division, and the plans have yet to be
drawn up for it.
Others were concerned about a
proposed bike trail in the Houston area of the project.
One man complained that millions of dollars was being spent on a pathway
for ‘the six people riding bikes to work.”
Ms. Ayala-Rogers says that there was a sizable number of people who do
take their bicycles to work, and they are vocal proponents for the project.
The work on these projects should begin next summer and will be finally
complete in 2025.
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COUNTY TO BEGIN BUDGET DISCUSSIONS
(JULY 26TH, 2010)
Retiring Washington County Judge Dorothy Morgan will begin working on the
last budget of her twenty year tenure this week, and it appears, once again to
be a very tough job.
The Washington County Commissioners begin several weeks of budget
workshops Tuesday after they have a formal meeting with accountant Lewis Crain,
of Rutledge, Crain and Company. Crain
gives the annual audit of the county’s finances to the commissioners.
Then the budget talks begin. Last
year, County Judge Dorothy Morgan said last year’s budget was ‘tough but the
best we could do.’ The county
spent $19.59 and kept the tax rate stayed the same at .42 cents per one hundred
dollar valuation. Property values
have declined in the past year and the question is whether the county can hold
the line on property taxes.
The process should end on
September 14th when the Commissioners adopt the budget.
The County Commissioners will hear from all the county departments during
the several weeks of budget discussions.
Judge Morgan has been the county judge since January of 1991.
Now she is leaving the post saying this budget looks a lot like the first
budget she had to deal with.
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CITY AND COUNTY WORKING ON FIRE PROTECTION AGREEMENTS
(JULY 26TH, 2010)
Brenham City fire officials and Washington County are piecing together
a renewed agreement on fire coverage.
The officials from both entities are looking through a series of
agreements between them.
Some of these agreements have been in effect for many years, others are
no longer needed.
Retiring Washington County
Judge Dorothy Morgan and Brenham City Manager Terry Roberts are working together
on the agreements.
In many of these agreements, the county provides some funding for city
services such as animal control and operation of the Nancy Carol Roberts
Library, facilities that both city and county residents use.
In several agreements dealing with fire safety and coverage, the county
contributes $5500 annually to the Brenham Fire Department operations, but city
officials say the costs to provide fire service in areas immediately outside
thecity limits and rescue operations services for wrecks in the entire county
are much higher, at about $80,000.
City Manager Roberts says the city is looking at the direct costs related
to making calls out in the county. Judge
Morgan says the county wants to pay its fair share, but the rural fire
departments must also be part of the discussion.
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BNSF ATTORNEYS WANT SUIT DISMISSED
(JULY 26TH, 2010)
Attorneys for the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad have asked
District Court Judge Reva Towslee- Corbett to throw out a law suit brought by
Joe Vittonel Jr., of Somerville because some of his expert witnesses have been
disallowed.
The BNSF is being sued by a number of former workers saying the railroad
tie plant in Somerville has been a hazard to their health.
Vittonel’s attorneys are asking Judge Corbett to reconsider previous
ruling on striking those witnesses. Vittonel
is alleging that a hazardous workplace and environmental exposures has caused
him injury. He is one of dozens of
plaintiffs locally suing the railroad and Koppers Incorporated, involving the
Somerville Tie Treatment plant.
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RABIES REPORTED IN WALLER COUNTY
(JULY 26TH, 2010)
There has been a confirmed case of
rabies in Waller County. Waller
County Sheriff’s deputies confirm that the Texas Department of State Health
Services has confirmed a positive test for rabies in the past week.
Sheriff R. Glenn Smith reported that the rabies test was performed on a
small dog with positive results, confirming it was infected with rabies,
typically identify with skunks. The
dog may have been exposed to a skunk several months ago and recently became ill.
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
FAB FIVE AT HOT NIGHTS, COOL TUNES
(JULY 24TH, 2010)
The Houston area tribute band Fab Five took many of us on a wonderful
trip back in time. For many of us at
a certain age, the most exciting possession was one of those transistor radios
where the disc jockey played the latest hits from the Beatles, the Rolling
Stones, the Kinks and countless other bands from across the Atlantic.
|
The Fab Five at Hot Nights, Cool Tunes. |
There were thousands out Saturday night on the downtown square wanting to
take that trip during the fourth concert of the Brenham Main Street Hot Nights,
Cool Tunes. The band played the very
best sounds from those groups throughout the night.
This year’s edition of Hot Nights Cool Tunes concludes this Saturday
night when Radio Star has the sounds of the 80s.
|
Saturday's Hot Nights,
Cool Tunes concert brought |
______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
COUNTY COMMISSIONERS TO GET AUDIT REPORT
(JULY 24TH, 2010)
A key element in putting together a budget for Washington County is the
annual audit report on the county’s finances.
Accountant Lewis Crain of Rutledge, Crain and Company will give the
annual audit report when the county commissioners meet Tuesday morning.
The commissioners are expected to approve the report after they receive
it.
The County Commissioners are also expected to act on an interlocal
agreement between Blinn College and the county for the use of the Brazos Valley
Wide Area Communications System. This
is a new, federally mandated emergency radio communications system that connects
at least six county law enforcement and emergency agencies on a narrow band
radio system. The system has been
under development for at least two years. County
Judge Dorothy Morgan says they had expected to have this new system operational
already but the process of transition from the current system was more involved
than what she and others thought.
|
Accountant Lewis Crain of
Crain Rutledge and |
Judge Morgan says that Blinn College wants to join the system and needs
to discuss the cost of joining the system. All
emergency and law enforcement communications are federally mandated to be
digital in two years.
The County Commissioners are also expected to act on a tax phase in for
Diamond Manufacturing Company. The
Brenham City Council has already granted this company the tax phase in but the
county needs to follow suit. Diamond
Manufacturing make peforated metal and plastic products and they plan to open a
facility on Longwood Drive on land owned by the Economic Development Foundation.
The County Commissioners are also expected to authorize the Sheriff’s
office to purchase a new vehicle under a state contract.
They are also expected to discuss a sealed bid proposal on awarding an
oil and gas and mineral lease on some of the county owned property in Tom Green
County. This would involve some 562
acres.
The Washington County Commissioners will meet Tuesday morning at nine at
the courthouse annex at 100 North Park, across the street from the courthouse.
____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
(JULY 24TH, 2010)
Some hard time was handed out for burglaries and probation violations in
this week’s session of the 21st district court in Washington
County.
Twenty-two year old Jason Dewayne Heard of Brenham was arrested on June
29th of 2009 for breaking into a house with the intent to commit a
sexual assault. Judge Reva Towslee-Corbett
sentenced Heard to ten years in prison and fined him $3000 for this first degree
felony conviction. He must also pay
$250 for the DNA test.
Twenty-eight year old Shane Lee Vela was sentenced to five years in
prison for a burglary of a house. He
must also pay $2200 in restitution. The conviction
also led to a probation revocation for Vela.
Vela was on probation for two counts of forgery from April.
Court reports say that Vela tested positive for cocaine use in June on
two occasions after getting the probated sentence.
He must also pay a $500 fine and pay $1200 in restitution.
A three year old burlgary conviction turned into a first degree felony
when 20-year old Clay Walker Schumpert of Brenham came before Judge Corbett.
Assistant District Attorney Ned Butler says that Schumpert was put on a
deffered adjudication probation for engaging in organized criminal activity for
a building burglary and subsequently stealing a firearm.
He was place on probation for these offenses in November of 2007 but
violated the probation by testing positive for marijuana use and failing to pay
his court ordered monies. He
must also pay a $1324 fine.
Fifty-eight year old Jose Roberto Flores had his probation revoked for a
family violence incident from over nine years ago.
Flores was put on probation in January of 2001 for an assault causing
bodily injury on a family member. His
violated the probation by being intoxicated during a may arrest.
He also never took a batterer’s intention program.
Judge Corbett sentenced him to two years in prison and ordered him to pay
a fine of nearly $900.
Forty-six
year old Kristofer Gerlach of Austin was arrested last August 11th
for possessing methamphetamines with the intent to deliver.
He received ten years probation for this offense and was ordered to pay a
$1500 fine. He must also perform 350
hours of community service and must attend a drug offender program.
Fifty-three
year old Michael Jonathan Burkhart of Brenham received six years probation for
tampering with physical evidence . He
must also perform 200 hours of community service.
He also pled guilty to possessing a small amount of cocaine during a June
arrest. For that offense Burkhart
was sentenced to five years probation and ordered to pay a thousand dollar fine.
Thirty-four year old Jarrette Jamiel Hill of Old Washington was sentenced
to two years probation for a theft.. He
must also pay $3700 in restitution and pay his court appointed attorney’s
fees. The theft occurred in February of 2008.
Forty-seven year old Joel Scott Bailey of Belton was arrested two years
ago for a third offense driving while intoxicated.
Judge Corbett sentenced him to five years probation and fined him one
thousand dollars. He must also
attend a drug offender program.
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MCCAUL WORKING TO RESTORE MANNED SPACE PROGRAM
(JULY 24TH, 2010)
U.S. Representative Michael McCaul,
whose district includes Brenham and Washington County, but also includes some of
Houston and many NASA workers, says the House Science and Technology Committee
is passing an authorization bill for NASA that he says is a bipartisan stance
against President Obama’s proposal to cut the agency’s manned space flight
program.
|
Congressman Michael McCaul |
McCaul says the broad support of the NASA
legislation is ‘good news’ for the Johnson Space Center and for our
national security interest.
McCaul says the nation has already invested $9 billion in the
Constellation Program and he believes there is no reason to terminate it now,
especially when it would cost an additional $2.5 billion just to shut the
program down.
The Constellation Program includes development of spacecraft and booster
vehicles to replace the Space Shuttle.
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(JULY 24TH, 2010)
The
new school year for the Brenham School district begins in one month and that
means many families are struggling to find all the right school supplies.
A group of Brenham banks are once again, helping with Project Backpack.
Project Backpack is a charity sponsored by local banks.
The banks collect school backpacks every year to give to students from
needy families.’
Even though the project has grown steadily for the past eight years,
going from collecting several dozen backpacks to several hundred, this year the
drive will be scaled back begause the community response has been so big in the
past.
Lee Gaskamp of the Bank of Brenham says they still have about 350 to 400
backpacks from last year. Those left
over backpacks are adult-size and suitable only teens.
Project Backpack will be going on all through August.
Those wishing to make a donation to the Project can do so at a
participating bank in the area.
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TEXAS TASK FORCE ONE BACK FROM DEPLOYMENT
(JULY 23RD, 2010)
The
College Station-based Texas Task Force One and it s swiftwater and rescue teams
were demobilized Wednesday from its seven day deployment in the Rio Grande
Valley. The world renowned rescue
team had been in the Valley, working in coordination with local jurisdiction to
conduct assessments of flooded areas and were also able to assist with the
coordination of Texas Military Forces Helicopters that dropped large sandbags to
divert the flow of flood waters.
Members of the task force arrived in College Station by mid-afternoon
Wednesday then departed for their home jurisdictions.
The deployment was a combined effort that included two Task Force rescue
teams with the Texas Military Forces.
The rest for the Task Force may be short-lived.
Tropical Storm Bonnie is expected to track towards the Gulf of Mexico,
and near the area of the BP Oil Spill. The
Task Force specializes in rescues in emergencies.
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TROPICAL STORM BONNIE TAKING TEXAS TRACK
(JULY 23RD, 2010)
Tropical Storm Bonnie could be heading for the Gulf Coast but it is still
a long way from Texas. The track of
the storm could take it near the clean up efforts of the BP Oil Spill.
Crews will have to leave the spill site and keep the rig plugged while
the storm approaches.
Southeast Texas is in the storm’s five-day track.
It’s predicted to go vover the southern tip of Florida and northern
Cuba, enter the Gulf of Mexico and then take aim at the Southeast Texas and
Louisiana area.
The National Hurricane Center predicts the storm will make landfall in
the Beaumont area on Monday.
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(JULY 23RD, 2010)
A violent family incident in Austin County has led to the indictment of
23-year old man in this week’s session of the 155th District Court
grand jury. Joshua Davis is facing
charges of assault against a family member, and assault family violence for an
incident that allegedly happened on June 24th.
Davis was one of eight people indicted in this week’s session of the
Austin County grand jury.
Three people are under indictment for theft.
Eighteen year old Adrian Martinez has been indicted for evading arrest in
a motor vehicle for an incident that happened on June 27th.
Twenty-five year old Rafael Porras Salinas was arrested on July 2nd
for the possession of a controlled substance and has now been indicted for that
charge.
Twenty-year old Julian Lamar Rivers is facing a theft indictment
for an incident for the fraudulent use and possession of identifying
information.\
Thirty-three year old Jerrett Lamone Harris was indicted for the delivery
of a controlled substance.
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FAB FIVE COMING TO HOT NIGHTS, COOL TUNES
(JULY 23RD, 2010)
Anyone who can remember listening to
the radio some forty plus years ago know how exciting and fun it was to hear the
Beatles, the Stones and the British Invasion sounds of the 1960s.
Those sounds are returning to downtown Brenham Saturday night during this
week’s edition of Brenham Main Street’s Hot Nights, Cool Tunes when the Fab
Five perform. Tracie Pyle of Brenham
Main Street says that you can hear the sounds of the sixties from a really great
band from the Houston area.
![]() |
|
The Fab Five will bring
back the sounds of the British Invasion and |
This the fourth of a series of five summer concerts in downtown Brenham.
Pyle says the concerts have been great successes, drawing big crowds to
the downtown area. This concert,
like all the others, will begin at about seven pm, Saturday night.
Pyle asks once again, that you leave your coolers at home, and get your
food and drink from the food booths of the Brenham Rotary Club.
This helps local charities and keeps these concerts free.
This week’s sponsors are Seidel, Schroeder and Company, Brenham
National Bank and Donald Spiess—Germania Insurance.
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(JULY 23RD, 2010)
The Washington County Chamber of
Commerce is preparing for another Tailgate Party next month.
This has been the Chamber’s fundraiser for the past three years.
It will be Thursday, August 26th at the parking lot of the
Fireman’s Training Center.
Brice Milliron is the Tailgate Event Chair.
He says they are still looking for businesses to provide prizes, saying
this is a great way to promote your business
at a highly visible event.
Millirorn believes at least 600 people will come out this event.
If you or your business want to take part call the chamber at 836 3695 or
fax in your donation at 836 2540.
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(JULY 22ND, 2010)
One week ago, during the very early morning hours, the General Production
Company in downtown Brenham was engulfed in flames.
The damage was so thorough and complete, fire investigators could not get
into the structure at South Market and Alamo to see why the fire started.
Nothing is left of the building now.
It has been demolished. Brenham
Fire Marshal Alan Finke said yesterday that all indications poiint to the fire
being an accident. He couldn’t go
any further because the structure had to be torn down.
Finke says the actual cause of the fire may never be known.
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BRENHAM CITY TAXES HOLDING STEADY
(JULY 22ND, 2010)
Property taxes for city of Brenham will not be going up this year.
So says, City Manager Terry Roberts after the city council concluded
three days of budget workshops Wednesday.
Roberts says that after much discussion the Council made the decision to
leave the tax rate the same level as last year.
That rate is 50.42 cents per one hundred dollar valuation.
This will mean the city will take in less revenue because property values
have declined in the city over the past year.
The proposed budget will include funding for the Highway 290 project,
which is expected come online in the early part of next year.
Roberts says the budget originally included a 1.5 cent tax increase to
cover 60percent of the $250,000 in funding needed each year for the project, but
the Council made the decision to use reserves for the first year.
|
The new budget has no tax increase. |
Roberts says that, with the decrease in property values, it means about a
$90,000 loss in revenues to the general government operations.
The Council, according to Roberts believes that the economic conditions
did not lend itself to a tax increase this year.
Roberts said the city is still in very good financial condition.
The budget also includes about a half a million dollars in decision
packages, which are being funded through savings in the current year’s budget.
Once again, Roberts praised the city staff for holding the line on
spending.
Roberts also said that they are looking at the second phase of a street
overlay project that is expected to cost $200,000 in addition to the regular
maintenance work the street department does annually.
\
The Brenham City Council will vote on the budget in September, before the
end of the fiscal year.
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200 ANIMALS SEIZED IN GRIMES COUNTY
(JULY 22ND, 2010)
Grimes County Sheriff’s deputies seized over two hundred animals
Wednesday from a property near Carlos. Grimes
County Sheriff Don Sowell said there were 105
malnourished horses and forty dogs
on the property.
Grimes County Sheriff Don Sowell says the miniature horses and and dogs
were seized and are being taken to an animal shelter in Houston.
The sheriff says the 13 acre property in the northern end of the county
had been under surveillance for about a week after the SPCA received reports
about the animal neglect.
Sowell says this was a voluntary seizure from the owner, whom he says did
not realize they had taken on more animals than they could take care of. Sheriff
Sowell says the owner will be allowed to keep some animals to see if they can
handle them properly. Sowell says
the property owner is not facing animal cruelty charges.
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NO CUTBACKS AT WASHINGTON COUNTY AGRI-LIFE EXTENSION OFFICE
(JULY 22ND, 2010)
Washington County’s Agri-Life Extension Office was not impacted by the
cutbacks in the office statewide.
Darrell Dromgoole of the College Station office said the Washington
County office was ‘very active and very effective.’
Dromgoole said however, that other very effective extension offices had
to lose some officers and said that personnel is the only real way to cutback.
All state agencies have been ordered to cutback in spending by five
percent.
The Agri-Life Extension Service has completed the difficult task of
notifying employees whose jobs will end on October 31st.
The personnel cutback affects 94 jobs—31 vacant positions that will not
be filled and 63 occupied positions that will be eliminated agencywide. The
downsizing results from the five percent state budget reductions.
Leaders of the state agency, which has offices in 250 Texas counties,
said their decisions were based on maintaining core programs statewide.
Dromgoole said that counties currently being served by a single extension
agent or through a shared position will not be impacted by the new staffing
plan. Dromgoole who is the Agri-Life
associate director for county programs says they looked most closely at counties
where there were three or more positions, especially if more than one employee
supported the same subject matter.
Dromgoole said all county Extension personnel contribute to Four- H, Agri-Life
Extension youth programs and share full responsibility for the program when
needed.
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(JULY 22ND, 2010)
Brenham police are investigating two motor vehicle burglary cases that
happened a week a part.
A woman parked her PT Cruiser at the Elks Lodge Tuesday afternoon.
She failed to lock her car and the sight of her purse was too much for
one theif. The purse and contents
were stolen.
An expensive truck burglary happened one week ago, on July 13th.
Billy Joe Jasinski had parked his Dodge pickup truck at Blue Bell
Creameries. There was a
self-propelled mower in the bed and someone stole it.
The estimated value of the mower was $530.
The case is being investigated.
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(JULY 21ST, 2010)
The Blinn College Board is expected to adopt a budget next month that
spends just as much as they take in revenues.
Dr. Van Miller, Blinn College’s Vice-President for Administrative
Services told the board at Tuesday night’s meeting that after making
adjustments for salaries and dealing with other contingencies, the college will
spend $76,047,655 while taking in the same amount in revenues.
Dr. Miller and the Board does not anticipate a property tax increase.
|
Blinn College Van Miller
outlines the budget for the |
The Board is expected to hold a hearing on the budget at a meeting on
Wednesday, August 18th. At
that meeting they would hold a public hearing on the budget, adopt the budget,
and set a tax rate that, if that rate does not exceed the current rate. If the
Board intends to raise the tax rate, which is just over five cents per one
hundred dollar valuation, they would meet on Tuesday, August 17th,
their next regular meeting. If that
is necessary they would announce the intent to set a tax rate and announce the
dates for the two required hearings and vote on the rate.
Then, once again, only if there is a propose raise in the tax rate, they
will hold hearings on September 7th and September 14th and
vote on the tax rate on September 21st.
The budget includes a three percent increase in salaries for all faculty
and staff of Blinn College. This
means faculty salaries will be just over $25 million, while staff salaries will
be $15.9 million. The benefits would
cost the college $11.4 million. The
salaries and benefits constitute 69.1 percent of the spending in the budget.
Dr. Miller said there was a contingency fund of $184,000 that will be
used to balance the budget.
State appropriations, at $22.3 million or 29.3 percent of the budget,
tuition and fees are $37.5 million, or 49.4 percent of the budget.
The property taxes account for $1.4 million, or 1.8 percent of the
budget.
Blinn President Dr. Dan Holt says he expects enrollment to up again this
year and that will help with revenues.
Also at last night’s meeting, the Board appointed a new campus provost
for the Bryan campus. They appointed
Dr. Ted Raspiller during the regular board meeting.
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WASHINGTON COUNTY COURTHOUSE RENOVATIONS
(JULY 21ST, 2010)
Some familiar sights at the Washington County Courthouse will not be so
familiar, soon, after Tuesday’s meeting of the county commissioners.
The Commissioners approved a renovation plan that will greatly alter
thelook of the county commissioners courtroom, put in a file system, add a
computer server room, and elections room.
Architect Charles Keese, and his designer wife Nelda, presented the plans
to the commissioners, showing the changes. Keese
says they need to begin the work next week.
|
Architect Charles Keese
and designer wife, Nelda |
The new computer server room and the new file system will be place where
the treasurer’s office had been for most of the life of the 1939 Courthouse.
Keese says the file system is so heavy that it needs to be placed on the
first floor of the courthouse.
County Judge Dorothy Morgan said that there was $155,000 left over from
the $1.2 million courthouse annex project that will go towards this renovation
project. Keese says the total amount
should cost about $240,000. Keese
says there are numerous restrictions on how this renovation work is being done
due to regulations from the Texas Historical Commission.
The work should be done in about 60 days.
Judge Morgan told county workers and the commissioners that she will not
hear any complaints about how noisy the courthouse is.
The work needs to be done quickly because early voting begins October 12th
for the November election.
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(JULY 21ST, 2010)
Faith Mission Executive Director J.D. Young says personnel from two
offices are already moving into the Washington County Health and Human Services
Center at the one-time Brenham Police Station.
Young says the move in for the Medical Asssistance Program and the office
for Women, Infants and Children, or WIC Program began during the weekend.
Young says the Faith Mission/Scott and White Clinic for people without
health insurance and under certain income guidelines, should be operational
within the next wee or so.
The Clinic, and Service Center is a joint effort between Washington
County, the Scott and White (Trinity) Health Center, and Faith Mission.
The Center was going to be at
the Faith Mission Help Center at 314 East Alamo but many expressed concerns
about that location being too close to downtown.
The County received a $235,000 grant from the state to help with the
renovation of the building. That amounts to roughly half of the cost of the
renovations.
The Brenham Police Department moved out of the building nearly five years
ago due to heavy mold infestations.
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FUTURE TRENDS PLANNING FORUM SATURDAY
(JULY 21ST, 2010)
The Future Trends Planning Committee of the Chappell Hill Chamber of
Commerce is planning yet another forum concerning
transportation issues facing the community this Saturday.
This time the Texas Department of Transportation U.S. 290 Public
Information Officer Anikka Ayala-Rogers will present the current TxDot plans for
U.S. 290 including the Hempstead Tollway, U.S. 290 expansion, the TxDot
Interface with the Commuter Rail Corridor and the status of the Loop 577 in
Brenham.
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